Tomorrow and Forever
by WriteTheFinal
Summary: Naraku is dead and now the sacred jewel has left the world. But is that really it? Should the end of the journey really have been just a simple life in the village with so few questions fully answered? Ever wonder what happens afterwards? Well look no further! Step inside the wondrous world of Inuyasha once again as we continue the journey with all our favourite characters!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **

**Hello everyone! WriteTheFinal here, and welcome to my first ever fanfiction! I have written several things before, but never anything like this online, so I hope that it's well appreciated. Of course comments/critiques/and advice are appreciated. I don't mind how harsh it is as long as it's honest and backed up by good evidence. If someone just out and says they hate my story, then that's their opinion and I won't judge them for it. But, as I'm sure is the same for all you writers out there, a kind comment here and there is welcome.**

**So, my first fanfiction will take place in the wondrous world of Inuyasha, made by none other than the "Manga Princess" herself, Rumiko Takahashi. I have admired and adored this series ever since I was little, but after finding out the conclusion of the anime only a few years ago, like many of you out there, I yearned for more. I guess there was no point in continuing the story though, especially since both Naraku and the Shikon Jewel have been taken out of the picture.**

**But no, I don't think it should stop there! The questions left unanswered are many, and some fates still left undecided! Many, I presume, are still curious about the relationship between Sesshomaru and Rin. More so, what happens now with our four heroes who have seemingly settled into a calm and relaxed life? Is it really all over?**

**Not for me it isn't! This story is my version of what I believe the continuation of Inuyasha should be! I won't be focusing on just one or two characters, but all the characters whom we all know and love.**

**The story shall begin a short time after where our characters were last seen in the extra chapter published by Takahashi-san in 2013. For those of you who hadn't read it yet, I encourage you to do so before reading this story.**

**I hope you enjoy the story, and feedback would really be appreciated as well. Thank you, and happy reading!**

**-WriteTHeFinal-**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 - The Start of Tomorrow<strong>

The chirping of birds could be heard from far off in the distance. The forest wasn't far away, and after all it _was_ Feudal Japan when the territory of Musashi hadn't been settled fully yet. The land which would one day become Tokyo was no more than dense forestry with few rivers accompanied by villages here and there. Having chosen to live in an era with no electricity, no modern technology, no familiar surroundings, and not to mention a million and one different rules and customs she had to abide by, it was evident that Kagome Higarashi truly loved her husband Inuyasha-a half-demon who always proved to be stronger than he appeared-to be able to live with him in surroundings so unlike her own in what we know as the present day Japan.

Standing tall and proud, Kagome woke up every day with a spring in her step and a smile on her face. A newly accustomed priestess, she still had much to learn from old Kaede, the younger sister of Kagome's former reincarnated self, the immortal priestess Kikyo. Kikyo had been Inuyasha's old lover, and for a time Kagome's rival, but in the end Inuyasha had made his choice about whom he belonged with. There was nothing to separate him and Kagome now, though of course he tried often enough to hide how much Kikyo's existence had meant to him in the past. Despite living in the same home together for quite some time, there were still some evident boundaries that existed between the two, but bit by bit they learned to cope and move on towards the future. Kagome considered that "tomorrow" was all that would matter once she got the hang of living in such a strange land.

Waking at dawn and going about her daily chores was only the start. While her brave husband and his spiritual comrade Miroku went off in search of evil demons to slay, Kagome spent her time with Kaede and Miroku's wife Sango, a former demon slayer who now dedicated her time to mothering three children. It still took a lot of getting used to, seeing Sango as a mother after seeing her in battle dressed as a warrior so many times.

The two women went about their chores often, ever in conversation about the past, the world around them, and the future. Both had matured and changed deeply since last having seen each other, and yet still they held onto a friendship which could never be broken.

"How are you getting along Kagome?" Sango chanced to ask while they knelt by the riverbed doing laundry. Kagome scrubbed at Inuyasha's red sash eagerly as she noticed the sun rising higher into the sky. Wife though she may be, she was also a priestess, and as such had to tend to many other duties as well. One of them was keeping up with her archery so as to protect the village should any demons come near and try to attack.

"Alright I guess," Kagome answered honestly. "But to be honest, I think it'll still take some getting used to. You've all changed so much, and yet it's been three years since I've been here. What must I have missed while I was back in my own world? How can I make up for that?"

"Kagome, you have nothing to make up for," Sango assured her, all the while keeping a watchful eye on her twins Sumi and Suki. They were watching over their younger brother Toru, however they were both mischievous and liked to tease the few-months-old baby who was barely learning how to walk. If Sango hadn't trusted them even a little though, perhaps they wouldn't be allowed so close to her only son. "You were trapped in your world after you destroyed the Sacred Jewel. We should be grateful to you, even though we all missed you terribly."

Kagome nodded with a grateful smile. "Yes, I suppose you're right. But still, I wish I could find a way to erase those three years of emptiness for Inuyasha and I. Though I've been busy in my own world, I still wanted to see him. I'm very happy to finally be by his side again."

"Do you miss your world? I mean, well your family's there, so surely you must want to go back, right?"

Kagome's smile dropped. It was true that she missed her mother, grandpa and kid brother Sota and thought of them often, but she knew that the love they would be able to offer her would never be enough. She had chosen to stay with Inuyasha, and she wasn't going back on that decision.

"Of course I do, but-"

"Keeping busy I see?"

"Kaede!"

The old priestess came into view, walking calmly along the riverbank with a young, eleven-year-old Rin at her side. Rin smiled politely to both women, but she had nothing to say at the moment. Though she still kept up a friendly disposition, she was noticeably more silent the more time passed in the village. It was clear that her absence from Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older brother and a noble full-blooded demon was starting to take its toll on her. But both Kaede and Sesshomaru suspected that this might happen, so no one said a word about it or tried to change it.

Kaede nodded her greeting. "I see ye are doing well Kagome. The life of a priestess suits ye, as it did my sister Kikyo." Kaede was always making references to the long-dead sister whom she loved and revered even in her old age, so it wasn't taken badly on anyone's behalf. For a time, Kagome had almost actually _hated_ Kikyo, despite the fact that her very nature forbade anything evil. But it was undeniable to the wise old eyes of Kaede that in more ways than one, Kagome and Kikyo couldn't help but share some similarities. The sad truth had been that one of those similarities was a love for Inuyasha.

"I don't know about that," Kagome admitted. "I haven't been out of this village barely once since I've gotten here, and besides which there's never any demons around." The demons rarely attacked their specific village anymore because everyone in the region now knew of the fearsome half-demon Inuyasha who wielded a demon sword greater than all their powers combined. It was really dangerous to even get near the village with a bad intent, let alone expect to come out alive should any of the three main heroes catch them. Very few demons knew of Kagome's very existence, and that was part of the reason she felt so left out. Her three years spent away from the Feudal Era really cost her, though no one saw it that way as much as she did.

"Aye, and that is a good thing," Kaede observed. "Though ye are strong Kagome, remember that as a priestess, ye responsibilities will take ye far from the village one day. Someday ye will miss these days of peace and tranquility which so many people are unable to have."

"She's right you know," Sango said. Having living in a demon slayer's village that was rarely free from attack or the continuous demand for the slaying of demons, she knew better than anyone to respect the days when she could take a breather. Kagome had yet to find her purpose in her new life though, and it was more than likely that it was bothering her to know that everyone else seemed to have a place.

"What did you want to see us about, Kaede?" Kagome asked. After all, the old priestess's visits weren't at random.

"Still as perceptive as ever I see. Very well, I shall tell ye. But first finish ye tasks and then come inside to my hut."

Quickly settling out the last wet clothes to dry on the line, the five-Kagome, Sango, and the children-followed after Kaede and Rin into the old priestess's hut. There, Kaede began brewing herbal tea for them all to enjoy while they conversed.

After serving each of them and sending the children outside to play-with close supervision from Rin of course-Kaede looked into the eyes of each woman carefully.

"Kagome, I'm afraid that ye will be seeing battle yet, and very soon at that. And Sango, ye as well."

Both Kagome and Sango startled. This was not what they had expected at all. "What do you mean, Kaede?" Sango was the first to ask.

"A demon has come. A demon so fearsome and yet so cunning, that Miroku and Inuyasha shall surely fail to slay it if they try."

"But wait a minute!" Kagome insisted. "Inuyasha and Miroku are both strong and they haven't failed to slay a demon yet! What demon could there possibly be that Sango and I can slay but they can't?"

Kaede sighed. "I will tell me, but I must insist that ye both do not reveal a word of this to Inuyasha or Miroku. If they learn of this demon, they shall surely go after it alone and perish. It must be kept a secret."

"We promise," Sango said firmly.

Kagome nodded. Of course, anything! If only to protect the lives of her husband and friend...

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><p><span><strong>Author's End Note:<strong>

**Thank you to everyone who's read thus far so far! I promise that it shall only get better from here on out, but for now this was a sort of introductory chapter. I'd love to hear any comments or feedback you have on this, so please don't hesitate to insert a comment below! Just any little thing is fine. And once again, thanks for reading!**

**So, what was Kaede talking about? Who is this new demon that's suddenly come on the scene? And why can only Sango and Kagome face him? Find out in the next exciting chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**First chapter complete, second chapter commence! I am so happy that I have one favouriter and follower thus far! Hopefully this story will gain popularity as it progresses, so here we go! Chapter 2 and a riveting continuation to my little cliffhanger. If anyone was bothered by that thus far, then I do apologize-mostly for the fact that I guarantee many more cliffhangers with a double on the intensity. Hope you can handle it!**

**Without further ado, chapter two!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 - Not Just Ordinary Wives<strong>

"To start with, the demon which I have heard of is said to disguise itself as a beautiful woman," Kaede continued after refilling everyone's cups of tea. As soon as she had Sango and Kagome's solemn promise to keep silent about the demon to their husbands, she confidently continued to reveal details to them.

"Then it's no surprise that I can't tell the monk," Sango said, her left eyebrow arching lightly in irritation. Despite being married three years and having just as many children with the handsome and spiritual Miroku, he was still a womanizer. Despite his new marital status which he clung to with all his heart, old habits died hard in more ways than one. And although Sango knew that Miroku had never laid hands on another woman after marrying her, she did have to recognize that he would fall into the demon's trap if it was indeed disguised as a beautiful woman.

"What about Inuyasha though?" Kagome asked. There was definitely more to the reason behind Kaede's precautions. It was already somewhat unlikely that Inuyasha and Miroku had heard of this demon, considering the way Kaede had chosen to specifically speak to their wives about it when they weren't around. Did that mean that it had kept a low profile until now and only recently started growing active?

"You've got a point there," Sango agreed. "Inuyasha's not exactly the type to fall for a pretty face."

Indeed, between the two men, Inuyasha was less vulnerable to temptation. The only women he had ever loved romantically were Kikyo and Kagome, so chances were that even if he was surrounded by adoring women, he wouldn't flirt back. Instead he'd try to make a dash for it in fear that Kagome would give him her all-too-painful "sit" command.

"Aye, but the demon is not one who reveals himself to other demons," Kaede said. The fire crackled beneath her pot of tea as she stirred it once more. "It is a very strange demon to hide itself from its own kind, however that makes it all the more dangerous should only humans be permitted to see it. Inuyasha is a half-demon, however when in his half-demon form, he is more enabled with his demon powers than with his human weaknesses. Unless he were to meet with the demon on the night of the new moon, there is not a chance that he would see it at all."

"So it's almost like with the strings of hair when Yura attacked us?" Kagome clarified. One of the first monsters she had ever encountered was a demon called Yura of the Hair who had turned out to be nothing but a comb. The strands of hair she controlled had been as thin as blades and just as sharp, but only Kagome had been able to see them.

"Exactly," Kaede agreed. "And so ye see, I must send ye out to slay the demon. It will pose a threat on us before long."

"Just what does this demon do?" Sango asked.

"It is said to lure humans away to its cave with a beautiful song which only the pure of heart cannot hear. Those who hear the song are unwittingly led under the earth and are there devoured. Even their bones do not remain, for they become fertilizer to the demon's garden."

"And just what is this garden?" As a demon slayer, Sango knew how to be on her guard in more ways than one. Every little detail, every aspect about the demon was important to commit to memory. Danger could come from the most unlikely places, and thus people would be left with little defense and even less openings to attack. She always had to be on her guard when it came to things like this.

"I know not," Kaede said. "None have come back to tell of it."

"Then how it is that you know of the demon?" Sango was getting rather too inquisitive at this point, but not out of suspicion or mistrust towards the old priestess. She simply had to make sure that everything was crystal clear before she took off to fight the demon with Kagome. Before, Sango may have done some reckless things without any prior knowledge of a demon before a battle, but not she had a husband and children to leave for. If she were to die, who would take care of them all? Who would love them? Her world of love and trust had expanded greatly from the time when she only cared about her younger brother Kohaku.

"There are ways," Kaede replied simply. "But that will reveal itself in due time. For now we must focus on slaying the demon, for it approaches. Are ye up to the task?"

"Yes of course!" Kagome responded at last. "Just because we're out of practice doesn't mean we can't do it!"

"Kagome..." Sango had forgotten just how determined and brave her friend could be.

Kagome clenched her jaw firmly. "This is our home and we must protect it. Inuyasha and Miroku can't be around all the time, and besides which it was bound to happen that we'd come across a demon that they couldn't battle. We can't back down now!"

Kaede smiled. Somehow she'd known that Kagome would give that kind of answer...

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><p>The next morning, after packing a few necessities and provisions, Sango and Kagome said their farewells to Kaede, Rin, and Sango's family, and headed off into the Forest of Inuyasha. Taking a path that led away from the village, the two women, Kagome dressed as a priestess and Sango carrying her Hirakotsu and wearing armor like in the good old days, they traveled quite a distance by noontime. Kaede had said that the demon was nearing their village, so chances were that they wouldn't need to go too far to be able to find it.<p>

"But once we find it, just what do we do?" Kagome asked. "What if we get captured? Then what will we have solved?"

Sango remained confident, clutching her precious weapon. After being reunited with it in battle after so long, it felt both strange and yet natural to have the bone weapon on her back. "The people the demon captured before were just ordinary humans," she said. "They probably didn't know how to fight or resist the demon, and for all we know, maybe they don't get hypnotized by any song. My theory is that the demon uses a paralyzing type of poison and then drags them away to his layer."

_So that must be why Sango gave me this mask_, Kagome thought as she held up a demon slayer's professional poison-shielding mask. Sango had hers tied on as usual, but Kagome herself was immune to most auras or miasmas because of her purifying powers. Though it was odd to have to admit it sometimes, Kagome was really glad that she was the reincarnation of a priestess. It helped to have Kikyo's pure heart and purifying powers to help protect her from demons. But Kagome had developed everything into a class all her own; she was no copy of Kikyo, and Inuyasha didn't think so either.

"I think we should rest," Sango said after a while. "We shouldn't go farther than this, otherwise the demon might slip past us."

After they sat down, Kagome also began to think a bit. Strategizing was more Miroku's style than anyone else's, but in his absence they had to think up a plan for themselves.

"Think we'll really find the demon?" Kagome said. "Because it's not as if we know what he looks like."

"So we just look for a demon. The important thing is to be on our guard and look around for anything suspicious. I don't think this demon is a subtle one if it's managed to keep itself hidden from other demons. It must have a secret trick to use so that only humans can see it."

"Sounds like a powerful demon."

Sango looked out into space. "We'll see."

Suddenly out of the corner of her vision, she noticed a red figure dart past. The figure moved with lightning speed and agility, so it had to be a demon. Sango threw her weapon at it on instinct, but it failed to make an impact.

"Sango, what's wrong?" Kagome asked. She didn't sense a demon nearby at all, which meant that no demonic aura was present.

Sango, who also didn't sense a demonic aura, glanced around them suspiciously. "Nothing. I thought it was the demon-uh!"

Suddenly her eyes took on an empty look similar to the look that Kohaku had once had when he was under Naruku's control. There was no reason why Sango should look like that unless...unless she was being possessed by a demon. Kagome glanced around frantically, but she couldn't see anyone or anything out of the ordinary. Just the brook nearby, the dirt path, and the trees which created the perfect camouflage. She hadn't spotted the red figure from earlier, so she had no idea where the demon might be hiding.

"Sango! Sango can you hear me?!" she asked, rushing to her friend's side. Her arrows were at the ready, but she couldn't exactly hit a target that she couldn't see.

In response to her question, Sango opened her mouth, but all she did was hum a light and somewhat sad-sounding melody. As she sang, every muscle in her body seemed to relax, but the song sounded eerie to Kagome.

"Sango! Sango what's happening? Are you being lured by the demon?!" _Wait a minute!_ Kagome suddenly thought. _If she's being possessed, then she must be hearing the demon's song. There's no other way! But where is it? Why can't I hear it?__  
><em>

Almost more suddenly than Kagome could understand, Sango's meaningless humming somehow turned into singing, and the words poured out of her as if she was crying. "The word is blind to me. Deaf ears turn away. Why oh why won't you come to me? I'll lead you away..."

_It's the demon! It's singing to her and wants to lure her to its cave!_ Everything Kaede had said was true! But then why wasn't Kagome taken over by its spell? Why was only Sango able to see and hear the demon? Did Kagome lack the ability?

"I've got to get Sango out of here," Kagome muttered, struggling to move Sango's arm. But the demon slayer was now like a bolder stuck to the ground, unable or unwilling to move. "Before it gets me too!"

Or maybe the demon was only interesting in one person at a time. Was that why Kagome was free of its spell? It had what it wanted-Sango as a meal-so it had no use for her.

Suddenly Sango _did_ begin to move, but in the wrong way. She was moving on her own, but in a way so rigid that Kagome almost fell forward when Sango swung her arm out in an odd sort of swing. She was walking towards something invisible and out of the meadow, leaving her weapon and Kagome behind!

_I have to follow her! If I leave Sango now, she'll be devoured! Whatever old Kaede said to do, it's all over now!_ The demon hadn't waited to be found. It had found them and now already the trouble was beginning.

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><p><span><strong>Author's End Note:<strong>

**Glad that I was able to update another chapter today, and once again thank you to my first follower and favouriter! I hope this chapter is just as satisfactory as the first, and luckily there isn't as much of a climax, or at least I don't think so. I'll give you guys a break every now and then. I hope you enjoyed it overall, and, as usual, comments and critiques are welcome!**


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